Take-up device for automobile steering idlers



March 24, 1953 E. BALQM 2,632,656

TAKE-UP DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILE STEERING IDLERS Filed Feb. 19, 1951 INVENTOR. Mr/e 5. 90km;

ATIORNEK Patented Mar. 24, 1953 etsass's .j" TAKE-QUP DEVICE FOR, AUTOMOBILE- S ERI G m E A This invention relates to automotive equipment and has to do more specificallywith improve; ments in the steering; apparatusof automobiles, the primary object being to provide a take-up means fora certain pivot shaftwhereby to permit more accurate adjustment and eliminate shim means heretofore provided for; such purpose. i i j In certain makes of present day' automobiles there is provided a steering mechanism wherein a bracket supports a combination idler and arm member-"for rotation through the medium; of a pivot shaft. 'The pivot shaft is secured directly to the idler o'r arm and rotates within'the legs of a bifurcated bracket, there being shims provided to hold the shaft against reciprocable movement on its axis of rotation. A

' It is mostdiflicult to entirely take upthe play in such shaft by use of such shims and according1y-, unsatis factory slack'is felt by the driver of the automobile in the steering wheel itself.

It is accordingly the most important object of the present invention to provide take-up means inthe nature of athreaded pin that is connected with the bifurcated bracket and-gears against one end fsthean v t sha t for .boldinsy Same against .reciprocable movement in lieu of the aforesaid shims. h V Another object of this'invention is the provision of a'take-up device embodying the threaded pin just above mentioned and hav'ing associated therewith, fa lock ring that bears againstthe bifurcated bracket and therebyflholds the pin against loosening during us'e'of the automobile steering assembly. (3;. .i 1

Other; objects of the presentinvention include the way in which an internally threaded ring is secured directly to the bifurcated bracket for receiving the take-up pin, and the manner in bracket, parts being broken away and in section to reveal detailsof construction of the take-up device hereof; and r Fig. 3 is a specific stretched-out view of the was; (oi-280 95) Y take-up device for automobile steering Idlers elitirely removed from the steering mechanism. A portion of the steering mechanism of 'thc present day' automobile with which the take -up device hereof is capable of being used, is illuse trated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing; and in this connection there is provided a front end frame piece I0 upon which is mounted a bif furcated bracket [2 having a pair" of spacedapart, laterally projecting legs 14 and I6 ar-' ranged substantially in relative superimposedrelationship. g j Bracket l2; which is mounted directly on the; framepiece [0, receives a combination steering idler and third arm assembly broadly designated by the numeral i8'and including idler 20' havir'ig" perforated head 22 on one end thereof thatEis' disposed between the legs l4 and l6 of bracket 12 for swinging movement. The head 22 of idler 20 has a shaft 24 extending .therethroughi that.

is rigidly secured to head 22 by a, cross 'pin 26. Shaft 24 rotates on substantially averticalaxis and is received by openings in both legs I4 and It that are in turn proyidedwith bushings 28 and'30 respectively.- Lubrication is'provided for thefl shaft Has the same rotates the bushings 28 by means of a fitting 332 foreach leg 'l4 and I6 respectively." Accordingly, there is provided a seal 34 and aseal retainer 36 onjtheinner most facefof eachleg l4 and f It respectively. An arm 38' integral with the idler 20'is provided with a pan no for receiving socket 42 .of aisteering connecting rod assembly 44 that in" coupleswith the automobile steering column, not o n .2, j I he idler 20 is provided with a'pair lorper, forated heads 46 for pivota'lly receiving tierods 48 A sm l di si Plus: 10; 9Yf e h n 5 mally uppermost end of the shaft 24 and is held in place within leg 14 by upsetting the metal from which the plug 50 is formed.

conventionally, there is provided a plug such as at 50 at the lowermost end of the shaft 24 within the leg I6 but in carrying out the present invention, such plug has been removed and may 7 be discarded. Also, in present practice, the means for holding the shaft 24 against reciprocation on its longitudinal axis constituted the provision of shims (not shown) between the lower- 1 most seal 34 and the uppermost face of the leg [6. It is impossible however, through use of such shim or shims to accurately and positively prevent all such reciprocable movement and even though slight, the disadvantage is exaggerated tremendously in the automobile steering wheel,

Further, the shims are difficult to apply, requiring removal entirely of the bracket l2 and thereupon removal of the shaft 24 from the bracket l2 and from the assembly [8. Such shims soon wear, even though virtually all of the slack is removed in applying the same, but as above indicated, it is virtually impossible to force shims of exact thicknesses in place between the lowermost sealafiandthe bracket leg Hi. I

The take-up device hereof is shown in Fig-E 2 and more clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawing and includes an elongated pin 52 that is externally threaded as at 54 throughout substantially its entire length and it is to be preferred the outside diameter ofthe pin 54 be substantially the same as that of the shaft 24.

A transverse krf 56 is provided one ends the pin 52 for receiving a screw driver' or like tool when adjustment is to take place as. here, inafter to be made more clear. A ring 58 havs nternal threads lit! ismr ded w th. an lus 5.2, e regnceel'diameter and. adapted t9 he receive hrthe lee he at its lew rm st and 15 zaediate r h lqw t e he hin a l: Rin tat mcun cd v91.1 t elea it sh tehle t ehhtl? ea h ashrselmne (it, v

V lecsmit it.- is'thh as d 97. 1 hh 9th- 532 hater? has and 19 h es sw qh qi he n h 2 at rh sss a t e 6 h t it n the h tv W th thq hle x. .h: mqhh e i p at 91; lee th it se t at t wil tht ivhe pin 52 in coaxial relationship to the shaft 24 thr u h theta? 51 The int? ma be hr hsht t9 h ti h ly a ainst h lh h @HQ 9? he that? Z iQiQiItg the e? hw hl and he tth s t e htt e rht ihh on it lq stth hal as 92 mta h T uh n e t 955 moun d? the p n 5 nd. t l c Washer i s q eh hhd ight 'httweth wt 6 a d' is clear that through the use of the takeeup dfi ir fi VS E D i 9; t e awi i tiv y tigh h lding act 'qh, can he imn e to the shaft V 34 and since the latter rotates but slightly durih 'hs hi h ahtQmh -tl eeri m h ni m, all? lQQ$ this s e rin whe l c n h l 'mi hated and steeringfoi the automobile rendered eas l nd ther a ant; The ict on i n thttshshe rh h h e h he lower e of ha .4 an thh pp n f p 5.21 u ica d y h. u war s Qt? l ntfi t hs's th the en h ta e up hhm t m t im b m e lqqs hin h t 6:6 a d annl n a screw dr tt or "other tool to the pin 52' by means of kerf 56',

The advan a smhheti g from he us of the take-1 h de i e he eof a e: a p r nd w e the same may bemodified so far as details of con 'struction are concerned, it is desired to be limmhahsh thefitt hs 32 1 Ice t5 and o c s 4 ited only by the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is;

1. For an automobile having a front end framepiece, a bifurcated bracket mounted on said framepiece and provided with an uppermost and a we x st e sa s bei q k h and eachhaving an openingtherein, a combination steering idler and third arm assembly adapted for operable connection with a pair of tie rods and with a: connecting rod for a steering assembly an idler on said first mentioned assembly having" a perforated head between said legs, an elongated shaft extending through the openings of the legs and the perforation of the head, said shaft having a fiat lowermost end and beingfixed to the head for rotation therewith within said openings on a vertical, longitudinal-axis through shaft a ake-hr; d v se tqmhr t h h n al a headeq he stated t9 sa d cwt n leg helewhaf nd an en -eth c t h l th ade in t-th he ti a d' a n h t pne m st end h ar n sea-inst said w 'r'm'o t en r the. sh t to h i ihg th h t-m sts! h t t n a emen w th the law-arses, 12 end. i thgagement with the uppermost leg.

A takep device a s t t rt 3h sh m 1 whe ein said rin hhnhlhs hf r f diameter se ed n t awni of h? hv h s he 21 b ing welded t9 q ewtt t l f- A t-heme ds qe a set ferth in h a 2 whe ein rev ew a 1 9 'shht bh th in; bear e a ainst the r n ta hqtd h he i a otat hh relative t9 h r n 4. A take-up d vice as set forth in claim 3 het s te B n e-"toh c' rf in he lhw imh t end h re f or ad ttm Q 21h 42 1119 fishin 2f h q 'hu NERL AL M- a rEnENcEs; omn- The follew n eferences a e of ecent n the file oi this patent;

UNI-TED STATES 

